I sighed in dramatic fashion. “Fine, for the sake of your wee babes.” I took the plate from him and dug in with more gusto than I had intended to show.
He laughed. “Nice brooch. What’s it stand fer?”
“Hero,” I raised my chin a notch, “because I am the hero of my own story.”
“I like that.” He nodded. “Well, I’d better get back before me cousin burns McGinny’s food truck down.”
I puckered my forehead and looked at the stage. “I thought your cousin was the singer over there.”
“He is. That would be Finn. He sings at McGinny’s Pub as well. My other cousin, Aidan, is helping with the food, though I don’t know if that’s a good idea or not. That lad hasn’t quite figured out his path in life yet.”
Have any of us?
Matt chuckled. “Let’s just say there are a lot of us.”
“Lucky you,” I said and meant it. I’d only had my grandmother, but since her death, I felt like I didn’t have anyone. The girls were an exception, but they weren’t blood.
“Lucky fer our babes, too.” He tilted his head in salute and then headed back to his food truck.
I thought about what he said. Our children would be very lucky indeed to have a big family like Matt’s in their lives. They would never have to feel alone or unloved or unwanted…ever!
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I needed a moment alone. I got up and walked over to the nearest trash can to throw my empty plate away. Empty? I blinked, just realizing I’d finished it all.
“Hi, Tiffany,” a soft voice came from behind me.
I inhaled a deep breath then turned around to face my birth mother. “Rita.” I looked behind her but didn’t see anyone. “I’m surprised to see you here alone. Where are Charlie and Tabatha?”
“Oh, they’re over in front of the gazebo. That Finn McGinnis is so talented. He’ll melt your heart with one song.” Her face brightened.
“So, I’ve heard.” I studied her. “What do you want from me, Rita?”
Her face fell. “What do I want from you?” She paused a beat, and I could see her throat working. “Everything,” she finally got out. “What do I expect from you?” She shook her head. “Nothing.” She nodded as if resigned to her fate. “What do I hope you will give me?” She looked me in the eye with sincerity even I couldn’t deny. “A chance to get to know you.”
I hesitated a moment. “You don’t want my money?”
Her face pinched with pain, and she shook her head hard. “If I had wanted money, I never would have defied my mother and married your father for love.”
“Love?” A sob slipped out. “You gave me away. Who does that?”
“It wasn’t like that,” her voice softened, “it was never supposed to be like that.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I know you don’t, but maybe it’s time that you did.”
“What are you saying?”
She shrugged, kicking the dirt ground with a worn, dusty sneaker before leveling her gaze back on me. “I heard you were pregnant with twins. Congratulations.”
I fought the urge to laugh at the irony of it all. “That’s rich. Kind regards for a woman who clearly didn’t feel the same way about her babies.”
“I probably deserve that,” she conceded. “But you don’t know all of it.”
It was true that I didn’t, but there was a part of me not that interested in hearing about it anyway. “Ever hear of too little, too late, Rita?”
“It’s never going to be the right time or place.”
“You’re right. Say your piece and get it over with.”
“My mother made me choose between her and your father. There was never any choice. I loved your father with all my heart. So, when I chose him, she cut me off. We would have been fine, but we got pregnant with twins. There was no way we could afford to care for both of you at the same time. I went to my mother for help. She took one look at you and somehow knew you were more like her than me. She made a deal with me. Let her care for you until we got on our feet, and then she would give you back to us.”
“Wait…Grammy made the deal?” My heart squeezed tight, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. “I-I thought you did.”
“No, she made the deal…but I did say yes. I had no choice, but I honestly thought she would keep her end of the agreement.” Rita looked me in the eye with such despair and regret. “When I went back for you, she refused to give you back to me. She didn’t want the rest of us. You were the daughter she always wanted but never had. So, she shut me and her other granddaughter—your sister—out.”
I was already shaking my head. It couldn’t be true. The grandmother who was a mother to me couldn’t have kept me from my own mother…could she? I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I don’t believe you.”
“I understand why you don’t, but it’s true. The woman you knew was a far different person than the woman I knew. I was weak in her eyes. You weren’t.” Rita’s voice cracked. “We never would have agreed to the deal if we had known it would mean losing you. I just hope we haven’t lost you forever.”
I wiped away the tears now streaming down my face. “Why didn’t you fight harder for me?”
“She was too powerful. What could I do? I spent years trying to get her to change her mind and let me at least see you. Instead, she spent her life turning you against me.”
“This is too much. I can’t handle it. I guess you know everything.” I huffed out a breath and crossed my arms over my chest.
“I don’t know everything,” she said quietly, “but I do know a thing or two about carrying twins. I’d like to be a part of your life if you’ll let me. This might be my only chance to be a grandmother.”
I frowned. “What about Tabatha?”
